


Keep Me in the Loop

by deathishauntedbyhumans



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: Cell Phones, During Canon, F/M, Friendship, Gen, Implied Feelings, Implied Relationships, Phone Calls, Spoilers for S4E1 and S4E2, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000, ngl this was written thru a stomco lens but you can read it however you want
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-13
Updated: 2019-03-13
Packaged: 2019-11-16 13:49:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18095525
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deathishauntedbyhumans/pseuds/deathishauntedbyhumans
Summary: Tom calls Marco for extra information about what’s going on when Star doesn’t feel like talking.





	Keep Me in the Loop

**Author's Note:**

> ~~Sometimes when ur gf doesn’t feel like giving u info u gotta talk to ur bf instead~~
> 
> I didn’t realise season 4 was happening until earlier today so now I’m uh,,, caught up. 
> 
> _it’s almost midnight this probably isn’t well-written_

“Did she call me stupid?” Tom asks, and Marco  _ really  _ doesn’t have time for this. He slips further away from Star and River, throwing his head back and staring up at the sky to try and keep himself from sighing heavily into the phone. 

“No, Tom, she didn’t. She’s just stressed out and… y’know, scared about her mom and stuff.”

“Okay, I know, but—“

“Tom.” Marco interrupts him in a clipped tone, and Tom falls quiet on the other end of the line. “You’re not stupid. Star’s just having a tough time, alright?”

There’s a silence, in which Marco glances over to watch Star slump over, upside-down, on the ground beside her dad. Marco kinda wants to throw his phone at the side of the ditch, just to get out of this conversation and go reassure Star that they’re doing everything they possibly can.

“You’re right,” Tom says quietly. Marco blinks. “You’re right, and I— I should let you get back to it. Just, uh…” Tom clears his throat. “Don’t do anything stupid, okay, buddy?”

Marco feels the concern behind the words, the familiar masculine comfort that Tom refuses to admit to, and takes it for what it is, smiling a little. “Yeah,” he agrees. “I won’t. Bye, Tom.” 

He hangs up the phone just in time to hear Star shriek; he has no choice but to follow her out of the crater and put his conversation with Tom out of his head.

* * *

 

“I don’t know if we’re going to find Queen Moon,” Marco confesses quietly, just in case Star walks by the bathroom. He’s sitting on the counter, spindly legs drawn into his chest, phone against his ear. 

Tom sounds like he’s frowning. “Have you said that to Star?”

“No!” Marco defends loudly, and then bites his lip. “No,” he repeats, toning himself down. “I— Eclipsa thinks I should talk to her about it. I don’t want to upset her, but…” he trails off and heaves a heavy sigh. Tom hums vaguely on the other side of the line. “River won’t do it. I don’t even think he’s considered it, either. But Eclipsa and I both think that… Well, there’s a big chance she might be somewhere she can’t come back from.”

“She should hear it from you,” Tom says, and it feels like both a strange blow and a vote of confidence, all in one. 

“Wha—What?” 

“She should hear it from you,” Tom repeats steadily, like he’d expected Marco to be confused. “Marco, Star isn’t some fragile little flower. She’s strong. And… you’re her best friend.” There’s something unspoken there, unmentioned, about the kiss Star and Marco shared, about the fact that  _ Tom Knows,  _ but the moment passes without conflict, just like it has every moment since the end of their fight with Meteora. “If there’s anyone that can soften the blow, I know it’s you.” Tom sounds strong, mature… Sometimes, Marco can’t believe he’s the same person as the self-centered jerk Marco had first met him as. 

Marco takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. “Alright. You’re right. I can do this.” He lets his legs fall from the counter and hops down lightly. “I can do this,” he repeats. “Thanks, Tom.”

“Of course, pal. Tell Starship I miss her, and I’ll try and call tomorrow, alright?”

Marco smiles, just a little. He’s  _ not  _ jealous or anxious or any of that dumb stuff. He’s  _ not.  _ He ignores the swirling in his stomach, the aching in his heart, and nods, even though Tom can’t see him. 

“Will do. G’night, Tom.”

“G’night, Marco.”

* * *

 

“You’re going  _ where?” _

“To… uh, Pie Island?” Marco repeats, voice lilting upwards in question, unsure if he’s just saying it wrong or something. 

Tom lets out a derisive snort. “Yeah, okay. That’s what I thought you said. Pie Island isn’t exactly a great place to hang, Marco.”

Marco cringes. “Yeah, I know. That’s pretty much what River keeps saying, too. But Star’s convinced that we might find Moon there, so…”

“So you’re going,” Tom finishes for him, and Marco heaves a sigh. 

“Yep.”

The large “Slice o’Pie” costume that Star conjured up for him stares Marco in the face, mocking him as he continues to procrastinate putting it on. 

“Did you talk to her last night, about the whole ‘maybe never finding her mom’ thing?”

Outside the bathroom door, Star’s voice is fading in and out of earshot; Marco’s pretty sure she’s ordering someone to do something, but he can’t quite hear what. He doubts it’ll be long before she insists they leave. 

“Yeah. I mean, I tried, but… She seems pretty sure that Moon’s still out there.”

“Huh.” Tom doesn’t sound too convinced, but he doesn’t argue, either. Without thought, Marco finds himself smiling for just a second, proud of Tom and his obvious care for Star even if it  _ does  _ hurt his chest a little. “Well, good luck.”

Marco pokes at the pie costume. He’s thankful that it’s  _ fabric,  _ and not an actual pie. With Star, he’s never quite sure. 

“Thanks, man. Something tells me we’re gonna need it.” 

“MARCO!” Star bangs on the door, and Marco winces. He hears Tom chuckle on the other end of the phone. 

“Yeah, Star?” he calls, and she shoves the door open.

“Star!! I could’ve been naked!” 

Star rolls her eyes. “Like I’ve never seen you naked before, Marco.” She glances at the phone, sitting face-up on the counter. “What are you doing?!”

“You weren’t answering your mirror, so Tom called me to make sure everything was alright,” Marco explains, staring forlornly at the pie costume before picking it up. 

“Hey there, beautiful!” Tom greets. He sounds like he’s grinning, even with the tinny resolution of Marco’s speakerphone. “Good luck today!”

Marco watches Star’s features soften, just for an instant. “Awwwh. Thanks, Tom. I promise, as soon as we find my mom, I’ll come down and see you, okay?”

“Take all the time you need,” Tom replies smoothly. “I’ll miss you until I see you!”

“Miss you too!” Star smiles at the phone before turning abruptly to poke Marco in the side. “Marco!! Get into your disguise!! We’re gonna be late!” 

“We’ve got our own boat—“ Marco begins to protest, but Star is already out of the room. Marco sighs and continues to wriggle into the pie-shaped costume. “Well, that’s that. I’ll let you know how things go,” he says to his phone. “Talk to you later, Tom.”

Tom hums in acknowledgement. “Later, Marco.”

The phone makes a soft clicking sound when Tom hangs up. Marco pulls the last strap of his pie over his shoulder, grabs his phone off the counter, and sighs heavily one more time before following after Star. 

**Author's Note:**

> I would die for Tom Lucitor and them’s just the facts. 
> 
> Come scream at me on tumblr @deathishauntedbyhumans


End file.
